This invention is related to electrical connectors, and is a wire cutting apparatus usable to simultaneously cut a plurality of wire segments from a corresponding plurality of wires, with a smooth cut effected so as to provide acute angular ends on the wire segments without burrs. The apparatus is especially useful in cutting segments from a plurality of wires that are of a small diameter, where a clean cut is required, and where loss of material from the wires due to a cutting operation is to be avoided.
The apparatus is usable, for example, in cutting a plurality of short segments from a plurality of small diameter, electrically conductive wires usable in electrical brush contacts. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,725,844, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, a brush contact is described which is formed from a plurality of short, small diameter wire segments having acute angular surfaces, that are retained in a holder. In the formation of such segments, extreme care must be taken so as to avoid any burrs or excess material along the angular edges of the wire segment ends that would interfere with placement of the wire segments into a holder or interfere with mating of the exposed ends of the wire segments with the exposed ends of the wire segments of a contact to be mated therewith. As described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,725,844, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein, fine wires of expensive material are used in the brush contacts. Where beryllium-copper wires having a precious metal coating thereon are used in such contacts, the wires only have a diameter of between 0.01-0.001 inch, while the length of the wires of the contact are only about 0.375 inch. An automatic system for producing such wires, by cutting segments from reels of such wire, requires that the cutting of segments be done cleanly and quickly, such that the wire ends be angularly cut without burrs. As described in the above mentioned patent, the ends of wires used to form the brush contacts have acute angular ends, preferably having an angular surface of about 30.degree. to the axis of the wire.
In automated formation of such wire segments, it is imperative that the segments be cut at a high rate of speed in order to provide a plurality of segments for each holder that is to form the brush contact. Thus, production of a plurality of such wire segments, simultaneously, from wires is required in order to obtain the desired manufacturing speed for brush contact assembly.
The present apparatus provides means for simultaneously cutting a plurality of wire segments from a plurality of wires and also a means for passing the cut segments to a common collection point.